around 100 people. Basil Sluder, who came to El
Paso in December, 1973 from Terre Haute, Indiana, is the plant manager.
Jimmy Clary moved here from Houston, Texas, as the plant manager. Floyd
Von Minden and Tommie Harkness both came from Houston as foremen, and Paul
Rose and LeRoy Rose moved here from Meridian, Mississippi, and they are
also foremen.
Marathon Metallic Building Company which started operating in 1973.
A few months later the building was expanded still further.
In January, 1972 Robert Zirkle opened a business known as El Paso Auto
Supply at 568 West Main Street. The business is located in the building
which Letcher Brothers used for many years for their Chrysler-Plymouth
dealership. For a few years after Letcher Brothers closed their doors,
Scott Marten operated a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership at the same location,
but it closed in 1966. Mr. Zirkle now makes his home in Bloomington but
expects to move to El Paso in a year or two.
The Illinois Division of the American Dairy Association bought the former
El Paso National Bank Building from Franklin Jones, moving their office
here from Joliet on July 1, 1973. Richard M. Moore is the state ADA manager.
He is assisted by Mrs. Mary Pack. Four field men also work out of the El
Paso office. The association is a cooperative organization with more than
17,000 farmer members in the state. It works with 4-H clubs, FFA, various
breed groups and trade organizations to promote the sale of dairy products.
In September of 1973, Forrest Bushert and his wife, Joann, purchased
the Hornsby's Store located on West Front Street. It is called Bushert's
Variety and has a wide variety of items from housewares to clothing and
pet supplies. Mr. Bushert had been employed by the F. W. Woolworth Company
for about 20 years so he is well experienced in this field. After taking
over the store in 1973, he placed many new items in stock, putting in new
flooring and shelves.
Page 352
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